Serendipity
by scribb1es
Summary: Callie goes on a journey of self-discovery to reveal some feelings she never knew she had. A Callie/Ximena fic.
1. Chapter 1

**So I'm back... With a new fic, how exciting!**

 **This is a Callie/Ximena pairing fic because I am so completely obsessed with them and urgh I wish they would become canon... but since we only have half an already filmed season left, I doubt that will be happening. A set up for the spin-off maybe? I don't want to allow myself to believe that though, tbh...**

 **Oh yeah... That's new. I can't believe the show has been cancelled :( I love it so much and it has helped me in so many ways and it's going to be over soon and I'm so upset... so let's write fiction to fill that empty hole!**

 **So the intention is for this to be multichapter (let's see how long I can keep going for) and _relatively_** **slowburn, but I don't want to torture you so I won't drag it out _too_ much.**

 **Anyway, like I said, I love this pairing and if you follow me on twitter you will undoubtedly know this (let's be honest, I single-handedly created this ship and now everyone is jumping on it). Anyway. I hope you like it and don't forget to leave a review and all that jazz!**

 **\- Zoe (twitter: maiamtchls / tumblr: 9teen-wishes)**

 **PS - this takes place some time in 5x11, after Callie sees Aaron with that blonde girl, but before he comes over the next day. Just to save any confusion.**

* * *

Callie frowned as she saw Aaron pull up on his motorbike. _Did he have someone behind him?_

It reminded her of how they met. When he whisked her away and kissed her on the beach. When she shut him down because she had AJ. When things first started going to shit.

She watched as his comrade took of their helmet, revealing a blonde woman. She looked older than Callie, but then again, Aaron _did_ have a few years on her.

Sighing, she deleted the message she has typed asking her ex if they could talk and that she was outside. It was clear he had already started to move on. The young woman just didn't understand. He had been so adamant that despite them going back to being friends, it was _just_ temporary until they could build their relationship from the foundations and make it healthier. Yet here he was, barely a week later with a girl on the back of his bike. Maybe he never really cared all that much in the first place. How could he if it were that easy to move on? Just earlier that same day he had surprised her with a picnic on the beach, and tried to hold her hand before she drew the boundaries. Had her rejection caused him to decide to stop trying?

* * *

"Maybe she's just a friend. Don't jump to conclusions, Callie," Ximena reasoned with her friend.

"Yeah, a friend he took for a ride on his motorbike. Like he did with me the first day we met. Before he kissed me," Callie laughed, looking at the ground. Her friend sighed beside her, and put an arm round her. She laid her head on her shoulder.

The girls were sat on the older girl's bed in the church where Ximena was still claiming sanctuary. She had still not heard back from her lawyer about her status on the DACA program, and it was starting to worry her.

She was thankful that Callie visited her regularly – it helped to keep her mind off everything. She came every day, if not twice. Sometimes Mariana would come with her and often Poppy, but this time she was alone. Ximena was one of her only friends and she wanted to talk to her about Aaron since she didn't trust anyone else. Sure, she loved her siblings and they would want to be there for her, but they would just stick up for her and not tell her anything constructive. Ximena was different. So, once she had had dinner with her family, she had asked Stef to drop her back off at the church and pick her up later that night.

"I'm so tired," she whispered, closing her eyes, "I'm so tired of boys, of _people_ , treating me like I'm nothing."

The older girl looked at her friend with a sad smile. Her and Callie had grown a lot closer recently, and she had heard of some of the horror stories of Callie's previous homes. Callie had told her about Pearson. About home number 2. About the Olmsteads. There had been a lot of tears from both of them. And a lot of hugging.

She hated what she had had to live through, and what lasting effects it had had on her. Now she understood where the ambiguity came from. The lack of sense of self. The lack of confidence. Even when Ximena had told her she had never met anyone who cared for others as much as she did, she had seen the disbelief in Callie's eyes.

"Men aren't shit, Callie," Ximena teased, "trust me."

"Easy for you to say," Callie chuckled, sitting back up and grinning at her friend, "you're not attracted to them."

"Which gives me all the more reason. I'm not clouded by anything," her friend retorted, making her friend laugh.

They sat in silence for a moment, the young girl fiddling with her hands and her older friend lost in thought, just enjoying each other's company.

"You know, I admire you, Cal," the artist confessed, receiving a snort from the girl beside her, "I'm _serious._ "

"Why? I just screw everything up. Disappoint everyone. What's to admire?" Callie shook her head.

"That's not true," her friend argued, "your family is proud of you. I'm proud of you. And I'm sure your Mom is, too."

The younger girl knew which Mom she was referring to. It had been another one of the tearful conversations. Ximena already knew her Mom has passed, but not the details, and she found herself spilling them all to her once. It had been what would've been her 40th birthday. Her friend had held her as she sobbed. Life had been so chaotic for so many years she had barely had time to process her death. She had barely had time to think about her and the guilt of that silently ate Callie alive. When Stef had come to pick her up later that night, her eyes were still red and puffy, telling her that her daughter had been crying. She had pulled her into her arms as she broke down again and begged her to find where her Mom was buried.

" _I need to say goodbye to her. Properly,"_ she had cried before the detective pulled her back into the embrace. That's what they had done yesterday. Jude had been there too, mostly for Callie as he had minimal memories of the woman, but the rest of the family had stayed home as Stef's digression. She had told them this was Callie and Jude's moment, and they all understood.

"I doubt that," Callie retorted.

"Cal, please," Ximena sighed, "every day you fight for others. You fought for your brother for years. You fight to help broken systems. I wasn't lying when I told you I had never met someone who cares about others as much as you do. So much so that you forget to care about yourself. I wish you could see things that way I do. The way other people do."

The brunette smiled and the pair reverted back to a comfortable silence.

* * *

"Love, wake up for me," Callie heard a familiar voice whisper to her. Slowly, she opened her heavy eyelids to see her Mom crouched in front of her smiling.

"Did I fall asleep?" The girl yawned, sitting up straight and stretching her arms above her head.

"Yeah," her friend answered, looking up from the sketchbook she was drawing in, "you crashed out so I just let you sleep. Thought I might as well get on with some of my work since you were dead to the world."

"Sorry," the girl chuckled, "you should've just woken me up."

"You seemed tired," Ximena spoke, "I didn't want to rouse the beast. It's not a problem, anyway. I need to get more work done, or Helen will have it in for me."

Callie laughed at her friend's comments before yawning again and rubbing her eyes with her hands.

"Come on," her Mom pushed, "let's get you home, sleepy head."

The girl roller her eyes at the nickname, but pulled her legs from under the covers and slipped her feet into her shoes beside the bed. After tying up the laces and putting her jacket on, she walked over to her friend and gave her a hug.

"Thanks for the skates and art supplies," Ximena smiled, "I've been _dying_ without them. Just staring at the walls isn't as fun as it seems. Did you know there is 782 pieces of glass in the stained window?"

"No problem," Callie laughed, "see you tomorrow."

* * *

"Have you been sleeping?" The cop asked her daughter on the journey home. She heard a sigh beside her.

"Yes," her daughter replied, to which she gave her a doubtful look, "a bit. I just can't stop worrying about her. She's just all alone in there, not knowing what's happening to her parents, and scared that they're going to kick her out, or them, of the country at any minute. I don't want to let her down."

"Oh, sweets," the blonde sighed, "she knows you're doing everything you can. I love how much love you have for your friends, but you must look after yourself. How're your college applications going?"

"Nowhere," the teenager sighed, "I don't know what to do. They said that I would find it hard to get into the arts program, especially with my lack of portfolio, and that I should try and pick something less competitive to major in."

Hearing her daughter feel so defeated made Stef's heart ache. She knew how much Callie doubted her ability without someone telling her she probably wouldn't be successful. It must've been a major blow to her already fragile self-esteem.

"But you're working on your portfolio with Helen. And AJ," the woman pointed out, "how's that going by the way? Speaking to AJ again, I mean."

"It's good," Callie answered, "it's nice to have another friend when my other one is trapped inside a church. And Daphne's busy all the time. But it's weird, too. I think he wants to get back together."

"You don't want that?" The cop queried.

"No," Callie sighed, "I don't think so. Me and Aaron only just broke up, and we might get back together. I'm not sure about that at the moment, though. I think he's moved on already."

"What makes you think that?" Stef frowned.

"He had a girl on his motorbike today," her daughter confessed, "I don't know. I don't think I want a relationship right now, anyway."

"You have a lot to focus on. It's understandable, love," her mother smiled.

After the brief conversation, the car settled to a calm silence except for the radio which lulled our quiet tunes. Throughout the rest of the journey, Stef focused on the road ahead whilst her daughter watched the world go past through the window. She was thinking of ideas on how to help her friend. She had almost finished the video she was putting together, and her livestream was still being shared around the internet. So many people were contacting her about how everything was going and offering advice as well as volunteering to help. The response was amazing but also incredibly overwhelming.

"Bug, we're home," her mother's voice roused her from her thoughts. The pair left the car and entered the house, the eldest daughter going upstairs to get ready to sleep, passing her friend's sister on the way to the bathroom.

"Oh, hey Callie. Were you just with my sister? Is she okay?" The younger girl questioned.

"Yeah. She's good. Fed up of being stuck in that church, though," Callie laughed.

"Figures. Ximena doesn't like to be dependent on other people," Poppy said, rolling her eyes, "thanks for being there for my sister, by the way."

"I feel her on that one," Callie joked, "and it's not a problem. She's a great friend and I can't just stand by and watch everything happen. Anyway, I better get myself sorted for bed before my Mom drags me there by my hair. Goodnight!"

"Night," the girl said with a smile, making her way downstairs.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's the second chapter!**

 **Thanks for those who reviewed. I'm glad you like it!**

 **I apologise for being really bad at ending chapters, I'm so bad unless it's drama/angst, and although this _will_ include some of that, I didn't want to throw you in the deep end _too_ quickly.**

 **One thing I wanted to ask - how in depth would you like me to go into what's going on with the rest of the family? It is a Callie/Ximena fic, but I do obviously want to at least touch on whats going on with everyone else. Although there appears to be a lot going on in the show at the moment, so I was just wondering how far you would like me to go with it?**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter, and feel free to drop a review! It's much appreciated :)**

* * *

"You were right, by the way," Callie confessed.

Once again, the girl was visiting her friend at the church. Since bringing her skates, Ximena had been adamant about teaching her younger friend how to skate. She was getting better – she could now just about stand up without her friend having her hold her hands. However, for some strange reason the found herself missing the contact. She put it down to the lack of security if she were to trip.

"You're going to have to clarify," Ximena teased, "I'm right about a _lot_ of things."

"Cocky," the younger girl laughed, "about Aaron. He said that girl was his friend. He told me he didn't want to see anyone else."

"I told you not to jump to conclusions," the Latina reminded her, "assuming makes an-"

"Ass out of you and me," Callie continued, "yeah, yeah. I've heard it all before."

Her friend laughed and shook her head. The pair continued to move around the hall, Ximena teaching Callie how to skate backwards and do a few easy tricks. When they began to feel a bit tired out, they sat themselves down on the cold floor and drank from their water bottles.

"I've been meaning to ask," the older girl spoke suddenly, "what do you talk to Helen about the other day?"

"Oh," Callie let out, "I was just telling her I didn't think I would be applying for the art school this year and would transfer in instead, but she told me they frowned upon that and I would actually probably find it harder to get in."

Ximena nodded, "did you apply? For UCSD, I mean."

"Yeah," Callie sighed, continued when her friend gave her a prompting look, "I applied for the art school."

Her friend's face lit up when she heard the news, pulling the brunette into a crushing side hug.

"I'm proud of you," she beamed, "told you that you have courage. Another thing I was right about."

"What if I don't get in? Then what do I do?" The girl frowned.

"I'm sure you will," Ximena waved off, "and if you don't, you can always take a year out and reapply next year. Don't _stress_. Come on, let's get back to skating."

Callie groaned as Ximena pulled her off the ground. They talked about everything that came to their mind as they skated around the hall with the sun slowly setting outside. As it dipped towards the horizon, the sunlight caught the windows in a way that projected a beautiful array of colours onto the shiny floor. The older girl teased her friend that she was going slow, so she picked up the pace to prove her wrong. One foot in the wrong place though, sent her flying to the ground as she threw her hands out to brace her fall. Ximena quickly darted over to her when she heard the almighty thud.

"Cal, are you okay? Let me see your wrist," she urged, trying to gently pull her friends arm that she had clenched to her body towards her, "can you move your fingers?"

She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the younger girl's fingers move freely, albeit with a bit of discomfort portrayed by the quiet hiss and clenched facial expression. The older girl carefully turned her hand around to assess any swelling, apologising when her friend groaned in pain. Once she was happy with her evaluation, she untied the laces to her boots and slipped them off, doing the same for her friend since she was a bit hindered with only one hand.

Ximena stood up and offered Callie a hand, once again pulling her off the floor. She picked up both their shoes and attempted to carry both pairs of skates when Callie pushed her hand away, hoisting the pair she had been wearing under the arm which _didn't_ have an injured wrist, "It's okay, I can carry something. I'm not _that_ hurt."

"Well, we are still putting ice on that wrist regardless," Ximena said matter-of-factly as they walked out of the hall and towards her makeshift bedroom, "it's swollen and probably sprained."

"It's fine," Callie argued, to which she got a look from her friend.

"You're not getting out of it," she insisted, "now sit down."

The younger girl sulked towards the bed and sat on the edge, clasping her eyes closed as a jolt of pain made its way up her forearm. So much for it being fine.

She opened her eyes when she heard her friend come back in the room, carrying a bag of peas wrapped in a towel which she handed to her. It was surprising how much this church had in it. There was even a kitchen with a few appliances for keeping food and cooking.

Callie took the package from her a laid it carefully on top of the swelling, wincing at the combination of the coldness and the small amount of discomfort it caused upon contact, "how long do I have to keep it here?"

"Until I say so," Ximena kidded, "now stop whinging and sit back while I get on with some work."

* * *

Callie was sat around the table later that evening with her family, the already cramped table feeling even more so now that they had another person staying. Poppy had taken a seat between Jesus and Mariana on the opposite side of the table.

The family helped themselves to servings of Mama's homemade lasagne and side salad, the room buzzing with conversation about everyone's day.

Jesus confessed his usual annoyances of his aide, whilst Jude updated everyone on updates about his streaming deal. Apparently, Declan was still working his magic on the service, but was beginning to bring them round to the idea of including Taylor. Mariana was still having trouble deciding between which of the three guys that were interested in her she wanted to see more "exclusively", and Lena was trying to update everyone as much as she could about the possibility of Anchor Beach's future. Brandon was quiet - which was usual as of late - probably worried about Grace as he often was, as was their guest who was still getting used to the buzz of the busy family.

"How's your wrist, Cal?" Stef asked out of the blue when everyone had begun to quiet down to eat their food, causing everyone to look up questioningly at the pair.

Callie stopped mid chew and looked towards her Mom, swallowing what was in her mouth before replying, "what do you mean?"

"Ximena texted me," the blonde explained, "said you fell and hurt your wrist, but you probably wouldn't tell us."

Callie sighed and shook her head, "it's not a big deal. I'm _fine_."

"I'll be the judge of that," the cop laid down, "let me see."

The mother shut the girl down as she saw her mouth about to open in protest, causing her to give up her fight and surrender her arm to the woman. The cop studied the appendage, not missing the low whimper her daughter tried to hide behind the new hustle of conversation.

"It's still pretty swollen, love," the woman concluded, looking the brunette in the eyes, "I think we should get it checked out. Don't think I didn't notice you trying to use your other hand as much as possible."

"I only did it a few hours ago," Callie protested, "can't we go tomorrow if it's still bad?"

The cop gave her a look but sighed, holding her hands up in exasperation, "fine. But I'll be the judge of whether we go or not."

Her daughter nodded, accepting the compromise before joining in the family discussion of the best pizza topping.

* * *

"You're such a snitch," Callie joked as her friend's face popped up on her laptop screen. The pair were video chatting as they did every night.

"What do you mean?" The Latina grinned, pretending to be none the wiser of what her friend was talking about.

"Texting my Mom? Really? She made me hold ice on it for an _hour_ , my hand is practically frozen solid," the younger girl declared with a pouty face.

"Well I knew _you_ wouldn't say anything, so I had to," Ximena shrugged, "I'm surprised Stef didn't whisk you straight off to the ER."

"Oh, believe me, she wanted to," the brunette rolled her eyes, "but she said she would take me tomorrow if the swelling didn't go down."

"And is it?" Her friend questioned.

"No," Callie sighed, lifting her arm up to the camera to prove it, "looks like I know where I'm going tomorrow."

"As long as I get some of your company at some point," her older friend joked.

"I'm not sure if you deserve it," the girl teased. As the girls continued their conversation, Poppy came into the room, spotting her sister's face on the screen. Callie looked behind her when she heard someone come into the room and smiled at her friend's younger sister, beckoning her over and moving aside slightly on her chair before patting the newly made space beside her. The young Latina gratefully perched in the gap, waving to her sister with a grin.

"Hey Pops! How's Anchor Beach? Made any new friends yet?" Her older sister asked.

"Kind of. I mean, I still mostly hang around with Mariana, but I was talking to this girl in chemistry today. She seemed pretty cool," Poppy smiled before her face dropped again, "how're you?"

"I'm doing okay," her sister reassured her, "wish I could just leave, though. I miss you."

"I miss you too," the younger girl said sadly, "but at least we still get to see each other, right? I'll come see you tomorrow."

"I'm looking forward to it," Ximena smiled, "Do- do you know anything else about Mom and Dad yet?"

"No," Poppy sighed, "we still don't know where they're being detained. I'm scared, Ximena, what if they've already been deported? We didn't even get to say goodbye."

Callie watched sadly as the sisters talked about their family struggles. She hated watching them be torn apart like this, and to see them so torn apart. Poppy still couldn't have her big sister with her all the time to calm her nerves, and Ximena couldn't be there to always comfort her. It reminded Callie of the times her and Jude had been split from each other. She wished she could do more to help them, but the situation was complicated, and the legal issues were plentiful. They were still trying to work out how to keep the older girl in the country with her sister legitimately.

Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the bedroom door.

"Lights out in 5," Stef announced as Mariana side-stepped past her into the room and clambered into her bed.

"But it's Friday?" Callie said, puzzled.

"And?" The blonde woman countered with a tilt of her head. Her daughter put her hands up in surrender, "I'm exhausted and want to sleep, so I think you should all get yourselves tucked up too. Would do you good to have an early night. _You_ especially."

"Okay, okay," the brunette relented, "Sorry, X, looks like we gotta go."

"No worries," Ximena said, "see you tomorrow?"

"As always," her friend laughed.

"Bye, sis," Poppy waved as the video chat ended.

Callie closed her laptop before getting up from her chair and walking into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. When she walked back out, she bumped into her Mom on the landing as she came to tell everyone it was time for bed.

"How's your wrist now?" She asked softly, "and be honest."

"Still sore," the girl admitted, showing it to her.

"Looks like a trip to the ER tomorrow," Stef informed her, "now get yourself to bed. Goodnight, bug. I love you."

"Love you too," she replied as her mother pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head.

* * *

The verdict was a minor sprain which would probably heal within two or three weeks. The doctor said to take painkillers for any pain and to apply ice every few hours, much to Callie's dismay. Luckily, she had just avoiding having to wear a splint on the injury, but a bandage was recommended, and her Mom insisted.

After the trip the duo made their way back home so that they could pick up Poppy and drive to church.

"Nice bandage," Ximena greeted as the girls walked in, "sprain?"

"Yeah," Callie confirmed, "this is why I don't do sports."

"Yeah. Sure. _That's_ why," the older girl joked.

"Hey! I'm not that bad," her friend laughed, pretending to be offended and playfully hitting her arm.

"You keep telling yourself that," the Latina grinned as she turned around to lead them all to her room.


	3. Chapter 3

**_FINALLY! I DID IT!_**

 **I am so so sorry about how long this chapter took me in comparison to chapter 2... I was really stuck with what to do and where to take it. If you have read either of the other two fics I have posted since, you will know that I have been trying to incorporate the show at the same time as writing my own story, and was finding it hard to do so. I didn't even end up referencing either of the past two episodes in the end which really surprised me. I also think this may actually be the longest chapter yet. Just.**

 **I am happier with this chapter than I originally was, so I hope the wait was at least somewhat worth it. Otherwise, I'm sorry I guess.**

 **As usual, feel free to review, send me and fic requests** **and all that stuff, and I will _try_ to update quicker this time. I have another idea for a one-shot fic at the moment which involves the girls dating privately and the family all finding out in individual ways, so maybe you'll see that in the next few days.**

* * *

"Urgh. How am I supposed to do anything with a sprained wrist?" Callie sighed in frustration, causing AJ to chuckle slightly beside her.

He was at her house trying to help her come up with ideas for her portfolio.

"You don't always need full use of both hands to make art, you know. There's more to art than just painting and drawing," he pointed out.

"Shut up. I know," the girl grumbled, learning back in her chair and groaning.

"Careful or you'll be cracking your head open next," he joked. In return he received a glare as the girl sat up straight again, pulling her chair closer to her desk and once again looking down at her list of ideas. _Nothing_.

The teenager had been blocked for a while, and it was starting to frustrate her. She only had a limited amount of time left to get her portfolio done, or at least a little bit more developed than it was, yet she didn't want to just make art from anything. She wanted her pieces to symbolise something. To have meaning.

Suddenly, a notification popped up on her phone. It was a text from Ximena. Deciding her thoughts were taking her nowhere soon, she slid her thumb across the screen and tapped in her passcode to read the message.

 _I missed you today. The sunset looked pretty cool._

Callie smiled at the message and opened the picture her friend had sent with the message. It showed the hall in the church which always looked spectacular as the Sun dipped. The array of magnificent colours that littered the floor was always a mesmerising site. Whenever the girls were together at the church as the sun was setting, they sat there and watched the hues as they changed, letting themselves be engulfed by the plethora of colours.

 _I missed you too, but my Moms made me stay at home to work on my portfolio. Currently getting nowhere._

The locked her phone after typing the reply before sighed and going back to her paper, momentarily forgetting the other presence in the room.

"You guys text a lot," AJ spoke up, reminding her he was there.

"Jesus, AJ," Callie jumped, pressing her hand to her rapidly beating heart, "You scared the crap out of me."

"I've been here for the last two hours," he said amused, "is there something going on? What's going on with you an Aaron?"

She gave him a puzzled look, "What, between me and Ximena? No... I–I'm not into girls. And me and Aaron are on a break."

"You don't seem sure about that," he commented.

"We are on a break. I called it," she explained, watching as her ex shook his head, "What?"

"Not that. Your feelings," he clarified, "just saying. You guys see each other a lot, and text more than we did."

"We are _friends_ , AJ," she reaffirmed as he held his hands up in surrender, "and besides, even if I was into her, I'm not with Aaron for a reason. I don't need a relationship now. Now. Can we get back to this?"

Despite her denial, Callie couldn't stop thinking about what AJ had said.

There's was nothing going on between her and Ximena, so why did he seem to think there was? He was her ex and she always thought he knew her well – sometimes more than she knew herself – so his words seemed to unsettle her.

Sure, she knew Ximena was so pretty, and when she was happy, she felt happy too. She enjoyed spending time with her so much because she had never found someone who was so raw and real, whilst also so strong and invincible. She looked up to the older girl for all that she was going through, and still holding a smile on her face. Their friendship was nothing like she had had before. Ximena got her on so many more levels than most people did, but that didn't mean she had feelings for her.

Did she?

* * *

"How did brainstorming go?" Ximena quizzed the next day as Callie threw herself down onto her bed with a huff.

"Awful," she mumbled, defeated, "we got a total of two ideas and they both _sucked._ "

"You're trying too hard," her friend said, "you need to let it come to you naturally."

"I don't have time, though," she sighed, "I've already sent of my application for art school, and I only have like, what... two pieces of work in my portfolio? Three if I include the project I did on my Mom's necklace, but I don't like it."

"Forcing yourself to come up with ideas will only take you longer," the older girl contradicted, "and if you don't like it, try again. Rebuild it. At least you have one idea you don't have to start from scratch on. Instead of coming up with the exact thing you want to do, try and think about what you want it to mean."

The younger girl soaked in the advice her friend gave her. It made sense. Maybe she was trying too hard to come up with ideas on the spot, and the fact that she couldn't made it all worse. She was so worried about doing her art, that she was actually causing herself to come to a dead end.

"Why are you so good at this? You're like a wise old woman," Callie joked.

"Thanks, I think?" Ximena laughed, "it's just my style. Calm, collected and slow. Apart from roller derby."

"Yeah well, I haven't really had that for the past 7 years," the brunette mumbled, "all it's been is chaos."

"So, express that chaos in your work," her friend advised, "just because we have lived different lives and taken different paces, it doesn't make you any less capable."

Ximena dragged Callie from the bed and sat her at one of the tables, placing her hands on her shoulders before grabbing some paper and a pen. After placing the items in front of her friend, she pulled out the chair beside her and sat down, facing towards her. She clasped her hands together and leant forward, resting her arms on her legs.

"If I asked you to use three words to describe your life, what would you say?" The Latina prompted.

"Uncertainty. Fear. Anxiety," Callie answered, looking at her after a few moments of thought. The older girl pointed towards the paper then, silently telling the brunette to jot that down.

"And what would you say are the most significant events in your life? That you haven't already done work on," she prompted further.

"Being in the foster system. Losing my Mom. Losing _people_. Girls United," Callie recalled, looking blankly in front of her and listing off a few things. She scribbled away at the paper in front of her, adding them to what she already had. Finally, she had a little bit of idea of what she wanted to do, and ideas were beginning to spark in her head.

"What about... what means the most to you? What's important to your life?" Ximena asked, trying to further the girls train of thought.

"Family," she replied almost instantly. It was the easiest answer yet.

"What about your childhood? How would you describe it?" Her friend questioned next.

"I didn't really have one," Callie answers honestly, letting out a defeated laugh and looking towards her lap, "not after my Mom died. I had to look after Jude. He was only little, and he needed someone to protect him."

Sensing that her friend was starting to feel a bit down about reminiscing so much of her past at once, Ximena scooted closer to her friend and pulled her into her chest. She wrapped her arms around her shoulders as the younger girl laid there, resting her chin on top of her head. They sat there in silence for a while.

"I'm sorry you had it so hard, Cal. You didn't deserve it. Any of it," the skater said, "I wish things had been easier for you."

"What about you? Tell me about your life," Callie encouraged, moving the conversation way from herself.

Ximena told Callie about how her Mom found out she was pregnant with Poppy and came to the USA when she was just two years old. She remembers nothing of her first few years in Mexico, but her parents always kept that part of their lives alive with authentic food and cultural celebrations. She told her about the times they would spend at the beach together as a family, and the many times they went to Disney because Poppy was obsessed with princesses when she was little. Ximena was more of a tomboy herself, but admitted she secretly loved going despite always moaning to her parents how boring it was. Callie learnt that she was first introduced to roller derby when she was 11 and had been practicing the sport ever since. She also learnt that Ximena had broken her fingers four times, her left wrist twice and twisted her ankle several times just from playing, but it never put her off. Her and her Dad were movie geeks and would spend sleepless nights just watching different films - to her Mom's disapproval. Their favourite film was _It's A Wonderful Life_ and they had watched it over 30 times in total. And she and her Mom had be same music taste, listening to hours of _The Beatles_ and _Pink Floyd,_ dancing goofily around their living room _._

"Me and Poppy have always been close to our parents. We had to be. I can't imagine what it will be like if they get taken away from us," the older girl sighed.

Callie smiled sadly at the girl and pulled her in for her hug. It was her time to offer some comfort to her friend.

* * *

"You don't think it's a bit... _morbid?_ " Callie asked, unsure of herself.

The next day, the aspiring artist set to build on her ideas she had gathered with Ximena the day before.

She already had a piece of art which symbolised her time in juvie and the file behind her name, but she had not been specific to her times in foster care. Her whole life practically evolved around being a foster kid – _ex_ foster kid – and she only saw it fit to have a project that portrayed it.

The idea she had come up with was to have a sculpture of her, writing across it all the words that stayed with her. The words that were repetitively screamed at her and etched into her brain. Even if she had found an amazing family who loved her with the Fosters, there was still a small part of her that thought about the things she had been told. She wanted to symbolise the abuse, too, with fake bruises and scars, but she was also terrified of putting herself out there so much. It was one thing to be able to admit to people she had been abused, but it was another to make something so raw and vulnerable.

"I mean... kind of. But it's your work and your past. If that's what you want to do, then do it. Do what you feel is right," Aaron advised.

"I don't know," the girl sighed, "I'm kind of scared."

The boy moved from his position leaning against the desk and set down next to his friend on the bed. He pulled her hands into his lap and held them, looking directly into her eyes as he spoke, "Callie. You're one of the bravest people I know. If this is what you want to do, then do it. Don't worry about what other people think and what they have to say. I think it's a great idea. What you have been through is not your fault and is nothing to be ashamed of."

Callie smiled at her ex-boyfriend, and the pair looked at each other for a while. After a few intense moments, Aaron began to lean in, closing his eyes.

"I—I can't," the girl spluttered, tearing her hands away and jumping up from the bed. She bit her lip and ran her hands through her hair, "I'm sorry. I can't do this. Not right now."

"It's okay," her ex said with a sad smile, "I shouldn't have done that. You said you wanted to take a break. I should've respected that."

"I'm sorry," she whispered again, looking to the floor. She rubbed her arm.

"Stop apologising," he reassured her, "I should get going. It's late."

Callie nodded and watched him leave her room, a silent tear rolling down her face as the heard the door closed downstairs. After a shaky breath, she took herself to the bathroom and locked the door. She placed her hands on the side of the sink and looked at herself in the mirror. Turning on the taps, she splashed her flushed face with cold water and though to herself.

 _What was that? Why did I freak out?_


	4. Chapter 4

**I was back quicker than I expected with this chapter, so here we go!**

 **I will also be posting another Callie/Ximena themed one-shot momentarily. For anyone who reviewed on any of my previous one-shot about a follow up chapter, I'll probably be doing that some time soon. I might post it separately as a companion piece to the two, since it would probably be a bit boring and repetitive otherwise, but we'll see. It might not make sense to do it that way.**

 **Please review and feel free to leave any fic requests/send me fic requests through PMs!**

* * *

"So, it turned out Nick was telling the truth. He _did_ have information which saved the school," Lena spoke over dinner, telling her family just how she got her new role as principal of Anchor Beach, "his dad had been a forge all along. Planning to use the land for business and condos

rather than a school. He tried to make some excuse that he would build the school elsewhere, but the school board were less appreciative. In the end, his plan only got four votes — _excluding_ Drew."

A few days later, the family were sat around the dinner table, talking about the most recent events in their lives. Callie hadn't sent so much as a text to Aaron since the awkward moment the other day, still embarrassed about how bad she freaked out on him when he went to kiss her. She may have asked for a break, but that didn't feel like the reason she couldn't go through with it. Her brain kept telling her she would be betraying someone, yet she just couldn't work out who that could be. Her and AJ were only friends, and it didn't seem like it could be anyone else in her life.

"So, Drew ended up voting _against_ Anchor Beach going private, and you _still_ took his job? That's brutal, Mama," Jude smirked as he heard the story.

"Well he still _tried_ to turn Anchor Beach private," Mariana reminded her younger brother, "plus Mama deserved that job after all she has done for the school. If it wasn't for her, it would probably be Anchor Beach Academy by now. Or plans for some fancy shopping mall."

"Mariana against a shopping mall. Never thought you'd see the day," Stef joked, prompting her family to laugh at the joke as her youngest daughter stuck her tongue out jokingly at her.

Callie's phone buzzed with a message.

Aaron

 _Hey. Sorry about the other day._

The eldest daughter pressed the lock button on the top of her phone to make the screen turn black. That was not a message she wanted to answer right now.

"Who was that, sweets?" Her blonde mother asked curiously.

"Oh. Just Aaron," her daughter answered dismissively.

"How are things with you guys? He hasn't been round in a few days. Kinda left a bit suddenly the other day," her sister questioned.

"We're fine," the older girl lied, her two Moms looking at each other with disbelief, "he had stuff to do, and I've been busy with my project and stuff."

"And how's that going? Since you won't let any of us see it," her curly haired mother quizzed. Callie had started the piece the day after she had told Aaron about it and was just finished doing the shape of the body. She didn't want her family to see it before it was done in case it stopped her from finishing.

"Good," she smiled, "and you'll see it eventually. When I'm done."

"Well, I can't wait," the cop beamed, reaching out for her daughter beside her and placing her hand on her shoulder, pulling her hand back into her lap after she rubbed her arm with her thumb momentarily, "anyone else got anything to share? Jude? B?"

"Imminent Power are letting Taylor stream with us," Jude declared, "Declan managed to convince them. We are starting tomorrow."

"Grace got to go home today," Brandon added, "she will have to go back they've finished... _recoding_ her T-cells, but at least she gets to be out of the hospital for a bit."

"I got a new para, if anyone is interested," Jesus piped up.

"Yeah. And I called things off with Mat. Now it's just time to decide between Wyatt and Logan," Mariana confessed, causing the family to laugh and groan collectively.

* * *

" _Come onnnnnn. Even I don't get to see it?!"_

Callie laughed at her friend as the groaned through her computer. They were once again video-chatting and she was refusing to show her her project.

"At least _you_ know what it is," the brunette pointed out, "I haven't even told my family. Stop acting so hard done by."

Ximena sighed dramatically on the other end of the call, " _fine. I guess I'll have to wait. Not like I can do much about it anyway."_

"X, don't say that," the younger girl said sadly, upset that her friend still couldn't leave the church. She was _still_ waiting for an update on her DACA status and it had been just over two weeks. The older girl was understandably fed up of being stuck there and bored out of her mind.

" _You're the only thing keeping me sane at this point,_ " the Latina sighed. It was an innocent comment but something about it made Callie's heart skip a beat.

"Well I'm glad to be of service," the girl grinned before she was interrupted by the buzzing of her phone on the desk beside her.

Aaron

 _Callie? Are we okay?_

The brunette's breath caught in her throat as she read the message from her lock screen, biting her bottom lip. She had never replied to his message this morning. she didn't know how. She didn't know how to tell him she had no idea why she freaked out other than a feeling deep down of betrayal. A feeling that she didn't understand and wouldn't be able to explain when he inevitably asked why. She sighed and picked up the phone, staring at the message as if it would give her an idea on how to respond.

" _Everything okay? Who is it?"_ Her friend asked, concerned.

Callie shook her head and looked up, offering a small smile.

"Yeah, yeah. It's just Aaron," she confessed, "he sorted tried to kiss me the other day and I freaked out on him. We haven't spoken since."

" _Why did you freak out?"_ Ximena asked with a puzzled expression plastered on her face, " _I thought you guys were just on a break."_

"I don't know," the younger girl sighed, "it just felt wrong. Like I was betraying someone. It doesn't make much sense."

" _Don't dwell on it too much, girl. You're probably just not ready to get back together yet,"_ her friend said, receiving an amused frown from her friend, " _what? I don't doubt that you guys will get back together. You're clearly in love with the guy._ "

Callie thought she saw a flash of disappoint in the girl's face before it quickly disappeared.

"Maybe," she shrugged.

* * *

Art classes always felt so lonely for Callie with Ximena to keep her company. She never really got on with the rest of her classmates – she felt like they were a bit judgemental and questioned why she was even there - so without her friend, the girl would quietly get on with her work at the back of the room, away from the other students. Helen tried to move her closer to the rest of the class, but she had told her she would much prefer to be alone to focus on what she was doing.

Her current piece of work was not something she felt comfortable enough doing around them, so she was focusing on a more upbeat piece of work. Like she had told Ximena, family was the most important thing to her, so this project was exploring that.

"What have we got then, Callie?" The art teacher smiled, coming over to the teenager as she worked on it. The girl looked up from her work and smiled at the woman.

"I'm just drawing the outline of a silhouette onto this wood," she explained, "eventually I'm going to cut it all out, and do the same for another three sides to make a box which I will put a light in the middle of, like a light box. I want it to symbolise family because that's important to me."

"I think that's a great idea," the professor encouraged, "I'm glad you're starting to find your muse."

Helen had been aware of Callie's struggle to come up with ideas for her portfolio, pleased that she was finally getting somewhere. She saw a lot of potential in the girl if she just believed in herself and her work.

"Thank you," Callie said sincerely, "but I owe it to Ximena. She helped a lot."

"Do you see her a lot?" The art professor quizzes as the girl went back to drawing the outline with her good hand. Thankfully, she was right-handed and had hurt her left wrist, so she could still use her dominant hand to draw.

"Yeah. Everyday mostly," she nodded.

"That's nice. I'm glad you two get along. She's a lovely girl," her teacher spoke, "she brings out the best in you."

The young girl once again smiled at the woman as she began to walk away, talking to other students about they were working on, too.

She thought about what her teacher had said. It was true. Ximena really did bring out the best in her. She made her feel confident and have some belief in herself. She didn't make her feel like the scared little foster kid she once was, and never looked at her with pity when she told her about events in her past. It was one of the many things she liked about the older girl. The one thing she hated the most was pitiful looks from other people whenever she brought the subject up. And without Ximena, she would still be stuck about how to expand her portfolio.

The bell which signified the end of the lesson brought the girl out of her thoughts. She gathered her things and placed them at the back of the classroom. Helen had told her it was okay to keep them there since carrying five slabs of wood to and from every class would be a bit of a mission. Throwing her backpack over her shoulder, she waved goodbye to her professor as she left the room, checking her phone for any missed messages. She always turned it on silent in class to minimise distractions.

X

 _How's art class without m_ e?

Aaron

 _Are we going to talk about what happened?_

Shawn

 _Meet you at the usual table for lunch?_

The girl unlocked her phone and replied to the messages. First, she replied to Ximena, followed by Shawn:

 _The usual. Hope you get to come back soon or I'm going to die from loneliness._

 _Sure. Just got out of class. See you soon._

Her thumb hovered over Aaron's messaged as she contemplated whether to reply or not. After a few moments, she locked her phone and stuffed it in her jeans pocket. She would talk to him eventually, just not right now. She needed to work out what she was going to say.

The brunette made her way to her usual lunch table, waving to Shawn as she saw him already sat waiting for her. He smiled and waved back.

"Hey," he greeted as she sat down bedside him, "how was class?"

"Boring," the girl groaned, "Ximena better be able to come back soon, otherwise it's going to kill me."

"Yeah," the guy laughed before his face turned serious, "how's her DACA status going?"

"She still hasn't heard back," the girl sighed, pulling the brown paper bag with her lunch in out of her bag and placing it on the table, "I don't understand what's taking so long."

The pair chatted as they are their lunch, Callie scouring through her phone as they talked. As the opened the internet to look at the local news, she spotted a headline which caught her eye.

 _Shiloh McCullen To Visit San Diego And Deliver Speech At Republican Rally_

She quickly swallowed her mouthful and hastily tapped her friends arm, interrupting what he was saying. She showed him her phone when he questioned her. After he gave her a puzzled look, she began to explain her idea.

"We could _go_ to the rally, and when she asked for questions, broadcast Ximena's situation," she began to explain, but he still looked puzzled.

"Why would we do that? They're not going to care," he frowned.

"No, but it'll give us coverage. Give Ximena media exposure. Maybe it'll help speed up the process of her getting a hearing," she explained further.

"Oh. Clever idea," Shawn commended, "when is it?"

"Next Saturday," Callie answered after scrolling down the article to find a date, "we have just about enough time to make some posters and stuff."

"Well, let's get to it then," Shawn smirked, as they began to draw out some plans.


End file.
